Nov 1991 - Editorial

In the two kingdom parables, from which our principal, writer draws valuable lessons, there are some remarkable statements. Matthew's narrative describes three invitations sent out by a king, who is clearly God the Father, to a marriage feast for his son, who is the Lord Jesus. The three invitations in Matthew 22 extend over a very long period of time in which the servants of the king "call them" (v.3), "tell them" (v.4) and "bid" (v.9). After the king had sent his armies to destroy and burn he said, "The wedding is ready" (v.8). After the gathering together from the highways of both bad and good "the wedding was filled with guests" (v.10). The wedding garment was vital to the wedding guest (vv. 11,12). One man had no wedding garment, so he was cast out: The emphasis is on being chosen.

In Luke's narrative it is a lord who makes a great supper to be held in his house. Four invitations need to be given so that "my house may be filled". The emphasis here is on eating bread in the house, in the kingdom (Luke 14:23,24).

In Focus we again draw attention to the growth of Islam and how the very cradle of Christianity itself is feeling the pressures on Christian witness in the face of Islam fundamentalism. Now that communism has loosened its iron grip in Eastern and Southern Europe, will Islam fundamentalism be the iron of the revived fourth kingdom, which will belong to the beast of which Daniel wrote? In Daniel 2:43 we read, "Whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay (earthenware RVM), they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay".

unknown | Nov 1991
Editorial